U.S. Volleyball U23 Team Survives Mexico in Five; Will Meet Canada For Gold
7/31/2025 11:59:00 PM | Volleyball
Ava Martin makes key serves in fifth set
León, Mexico  –  The U.S. Women's U23 National Team faced its biggest test of the 2025 NORCECA Women's U23 Pan American Cup, coming away with a 3-2 (20-25, 27-25, 25-20, 21-25, 15-10) semifinal round victory over Mexico late on Wednesday night in León, Mexico.
The U.S. (4-0) will play for the gold medal against North American rival Canada (3-2), which earned a five-set win in the quarterfinals over the Dominican Republic and reverse swept Cuba in the other semifinal. The match will be Friday, Aug. 1, at 5 p.m. CT.
The U.S. dominated the net with 15 blocks compared to just four for Mexico. The U.S. served five of the seven aces in the match. Although Mexico led in kills 68-65, they made 13 more hitting errors.
Middle blocker Ifenna Cos-Okpalla was outstanding with 10 of the 15 U.S. blocks to go with 12 kills for 22 points. Outside hitter Eva Hudson recorded 20 kills. Libero Emmy Klika finished with 27 digs and passed in system 82 percent of the time in 39 attempts.
Outside Chloe Chicoine scored 16 points on 15 kills and a block. Middle blocker Raven Colvin also reached double digits in scoring with 14 points on 10 kills, a team-high three aces and a block. Opposite Jurnee Robinson added eight points on six kills and a pair of blocks.
Mexico took a quick 7-2 lead to start the match and never trailed in the first set. Back-to-back aces off the tape by Colvin cut the lead to one, 11-10. The U.S. pulled within a point seven more times in the set, the last time 21-20 on a back row attack by Hudson, but Mexico scored the final four points of the set to hand the U.S. its first set loss of the tournament.
Two kills and two blocks from Cos-Okpalla turned a 9-9 tie in the second set into a 14-10 U.S. lead. Mexico answered with four consecutive points to tie the set again. A Colvin kill put the U.S. up by three points, 19-16, and the lead was three again, 22-19, when Cos-Okpalla adjusted midair to post a kill. Mexico used a 4-1 run to square the set at 23. The U.S. was unable to convert two set points before scoring consecutive points on a kill by Hudson and another block by Cos-Okpalla.
The U.S. won the third set, 25-20. In the fourth, Chicoine scored off the block to give the U.S. an 11-10 lead, but Mexico ran off the next four points and never trailed again in the set. Chicoine kills tied the set at 19 and 20, and a Hudson back row attack evened the score at 21. Mexico scored the final four points to send the match to a fifth set.
The U.S. gave up the first point of the deciding set but scored the next three points and never surrendered the lead behind the pinpoint passing of Klika. Mexico misplayed a Chicoine serve, leading to a Colvin kill on a slide and the 3-1 advantage. After dropping the next point, the U.S. regained a two-point lead on another perfect pass from Klika that led to a Hudson kill off the block.
A Robinson kill and Cos-Okpalla block increased the margin to three, 7-4, and prompted a Mexico timeout. The U.S. continued its momentum with a Chicoine off-speed crosscourt kill and Robinson block making it 9-4.
Another strong Klika pass led to a Chicoine kill for an 11-7 U.S. lead. A series of phenomenal defensive plays by Mexico ending up cutting the lead back to three, but the trio of Klika, setter Caroline Kerr and Chicoine connected again for a 12-8 lead.
Kills by Hudson and Colvin gave the U.S. 13-8 and 14-9 leads, respectively. After Mexico saved one set point, Hudson ended the match on a kill to send the U.S. to the gold medal match.
Rising Creighton senior Ava Martin played in a total of 11 points across the five sets as a serving sub for Hudson. Martin served a pair of U.S. points in the fourth set to help tie the score at 19-all, then served up three consecutive points in the fifth set to help the American side take a 9-4 lead it would never surrender. Martin finished with two digs and two attacks while serving 11 times.
Norah Sis did not play in the contest.
The U.S. is being coached by Marie Zidek, who also is the head coach at DePaul.
Last season at Creighton, Sis and Martin were one of the most formidable outside hitting tandems in the nation to help the Bluejays finish 32-3 and reach its first Elite Eight since 2016. Both women were unanimous All-BIG EAST selections and named AVCA All-Americans in 2024. Martin will return for her senior year in August looking to help Creighton win a 12th consecutive BIG EAST Conference title, while Sis won the Pro Volleyball Federation title with the Orlando Valkyries in May and looks to carry that momentum into her second professional season next spring.
Creighton has had several women play internationally with USA Volleyball in recent seasons, as Brittany Witt (Thailand), Jaali Winters (Croatia), Taryn Kloth (China; France) and Sis (Mexico) have all represented Team USA at one time or another in the past decade. Sis was part of back-to-back gold medal-winning teams at the U21 Women's NORCECA Pan American Cup, while Kloth became Creighton's first female student-athlete to compete in the Olympics last summer when she tied for ninth in Beach Volleyball along with partner Kristen Nuss.
USA Volleyball Women's U23 Roster
Name, (Pos., Height, Hometown, College/Pro, Region)Â
1 Emmy Klika (L, 5-7, 2003, Novelty, Ohio, Pro Volleyball Federation, Ohio Valley)
3 Chloe Chicoine (OH, 5-10, 2004, Lafayette, Ind., Univ. of Louisville, Hoosier)
4 Cara Cresse (MB, 6-6, 2003, Ft. Wayne, Ind., Univ. of Louisville, Hoosier)
6 Raven Colvin (MB, 6-1, 2003, Indianapolis, Ind., Pro Volleyball Federation, Hoosier)
8 Eva Hudson (OH, 6-1, 2004, Ft. Wayne, Ind., Univ. of Kentucky, Hoosier)
9 Norah Sis (OH, 6-2, 2003, Papillion, Neb., Pro Volleyball Federation, Great Plains)
10 Averi Carlson (S, 5-11, 2003, Lucas, Texas, SMU, North Texas)
11 Ifenna Cos-Okpalla (MB, 6-2, 2004, Flower Mound, Texas, Texas A&M, North Texas)
13Â Caroline Kerr (S, 5-11, 2004, Champaign, Ill., Univ. of Tennessee, Great Lakes)
15 Ava Martin (OH, 6-1, 2004, Overland Park, Kan., Creighton Univ., Heart of America)
16 Jurnee Robinson (OPP/OH, 6-1, 2004, Simpsonville, S.C., LSU, Palmetto)
18 Lauren Rumel (OPP, 6-2, 2003, Tucson, Ariz., Oregon State Univ., Arizona)
Coaches
Head Coach: Marie Zidek (DePaul)
Assistant Coach: Kayla Banwarth (PVF, Olympian)
Assistant Coach: Danielle Scott (LOVB, Olympian)
Performance Analyst: Matthew Adams (Michigan)
ATC: Cherryl Bueno (Coast to Coast AthletiCare)
Team Lead: Taylor Marten (Ozark Juniors)
